The total area of New Zealand exceeds 01,000,000 acres. Of this, up to March, 1884, 17,500,000 had been sold or disposed of in education and other public reserves; 14,500,000 belonged to the aborigines, or to Europeans who had purchased from them; and 32,000,000 acres still remained for disposal by the Government. Of the latter, 14,000,000 were open grass or fern country, 9,000,000 forest, and 9,000,000 of barren mountain tops, lakes, and worthless country.